About Family & Medical-Related Leave
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Requests for longer periods of leave for family and/or medical reasons use the Online Leave Request Form and may require supporting documentation and/or pdf leave forms. If you have any questions about your request for leave, please email leave@unc.edu with the leave request Form ID in the subject line.
What to Know before Requesting Leave
Check your accrued leave balance.
Before requesting leave, be sure to review your accrued leave balances. If there is a chance part or all of your leave may be unpaid, please contact the Leave Team to discuss your options for benefits continuation.
Email leave@unc.edu with Leave Desk Billing in the subject line.
Give a notice of 30 days, if possible.
To take family and/or medical-related leave, you should provide your manager and departmental HR Rep with appropriate notice. If possible, 30 days’ notice is best, but if you learn of your need for extended time off less than 30 days ahead of time, request it as soon as you are able.
If you do not know who your HR Rep is, you can contact your school/division’s HR Officer using the HR Officers directory.
Communicate key details to your manager.
Before requesting leave, please let your manager know the reason that you are requesting leave. If you are requesting leave for your own serious health condition, you do NOT need to share any specifics about your health circumstances. However, you do need to provide enough information so that your manager can understand that your absence may be covered under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
Please also let your manager know:
- What type of leave you are requesting (continuous, intermittent or reduced schedule).
- Your estimated leave start date and return date.
- The estimated frequency and/or duration of leave.
Leave Scenarios & the Request Process
There are several leave programs that provide additional leave time and job-protections time to help employees who are experiencing a prolonged illness or medical condition and/or who are caring for an immediate family member. See the information in the toggles below for the various leave situation and the available leave program/s.
See the Online Leave Request Form & Other Leave Forms webpage for:
- How to access the online Leave Request Form.
- How to upload forms and documentation.
- Accessing the downloadable leave forms.
To request leave for a serious health condition that makes you unable to perform the functions of your job:
- Discuss your request for leave with your supervisor and departmental HR Representative.
- Submit the online Leave Request Form in ConnectCarolina Self Service 30 days in advance or as soon as possible.
- Once the request is submitted, the Leave Administration Team in Human Resources will send you a FMLA Notice of Eligibility, copying your supervisor and departmental HR Representative.
- The Notice will include a link to the Employee’s Medical Certification (Form WH-380-E) and a copy of your Position Description.
- You will have 15 calendar days to submit the medical certification.
- Complete the employee information in Section I of the form and have your health care provider complete Section II.
- Submit the completed form in ConnectCarolina Self Service.
- To return to work if you’ve been out on a continuous leave of absence:
- Provide at least two-days’ advance notice of your intent to return to work.
- Have your medical provider complete the Medical Leave Return to Work Form.
- Submit the completed form online in ConnectCarolina prior to returning to work.
Supporting documentation needed:
- DOL Form WH-380-E
- Medical Leave Return to Work Form
To request time away from work for adoption or foster-care placement and to bond with a newly placed child within 12 months:
- Discuss your request for leave with your supervisor and departmental HR Representative.
- Complete the online Leave Request Form in ConnectCarolina Self Service.
- Within 15 days following the placement of the child, submit the documentation confirming the family relationship.
Supporting documentation needed: Record confirming family relationship
Examples of acceptable documentation include:
- Foster care/adoption placement letter
- Adoption court documents
If you need time off for prenatal care, are medically unable to work prior to the birth of the child OR are medically unable to return to work 6-8 weeks following the birth of the child:
- Discuss your request for leave with your supervisor and departmental HR Representative.
- Submit the online Leave Request Form in ConnectCarolina Self Service.
- Once the request is submitted, the Leave Administration Team in Human Resources will send you a FMLA Notice of Eligibility, copying your supervisor and departmental HR Representative.
- The Notice will include a link to the Employee’s Medical Certification (Form WH-380-E) and a copy of your Position Description.
- You will have 15 calendar days to submit the medical certification.
- Complete the employee information in Section I of the form and have your health care provider complete Section II.
- Submit the completed form in ConnectCarolina Self Service.
Supporting documentation needed:
- DOL Form WH-380-E
For birth and/or non-birth parent
To request time away from work to bond with a newborn child:
- Discuss your request for leave with your supervisor and departmental HR Representative.
- Complete the online Leave Request Form.
- Confirm the family relationship by providing a copy of acceptable documentation
- Submit the documentation online in ConnectCarolina within 15 days following the birth of child.
Supporting documentation needed: Record confirming the family relationship
Examples of acceptable documentation include:
- Simple statement of the relationship, including your name, PID, the child’s name and date of birth
- Child’s verification of birth facts
- Child’s birth certificate
To request time away from work to care for a child, spouse or parent with a serious health condition:
- Discuss your request for leave with your supervisor and departmental HR Representative.
- Complete the online Leave Request Form.
- Have the medical provider complete the Family Member’s Form WH-380-F.
- Submit the completed form online in ConnectCarolina within 15 days of submitting the online Leave Request Form.
Supporting documentation needed: DOL Form WH-380-F
For In Loco Parentis
For care of a child or children for whom you stand in the role of in loco parentis or to care for an individual who once stood in the role of in loco parentis to them when you were a child, you will also need to complete the Attestation of In Loco Parentis Relationship Form.
To request time away from work to care for a current service member with a serious injury or illness:
- Discuss your request for leave with your supervisor and departmental HR Representative.
- Complete the online Leave Request Form.
- Have the medical provider complete the Military Caregiver for a Current Service member, Form WH-385.
- Submit the form online in ConnectCarolina within 15 days of submitting the online Leave Request Form.
Supporting documentation needed: DOL Form WH-385
To request time away from work to care for a covered veteran with a serious injury or illness:
- Discuss your request for leave with your supervisor and departmental HR Representative.
- Have the medical provider complete the DOL Form WH-385-V.
- Submit the form online in ConnectCarolina within 15 days of submitting the online Leave Request Form.
Supporting documentation needed: DOL Form WH-385-V
To request time away from work due to a qualifying exigency arising out of the foreign deployment of employee’s spouse, child or parent:
- Discuss your request for leave with your supervisor and departmental HR Representative.
- Complete the online Leave Request Form.
- Complete DOL Form WH-384.
- Submit the form online in ConnectCarolina within 15 days of submitting the online Leave Request Form.
Supporting documentation needed: DOL Form WH-384
Online Leave Request Form & Leave Forms
You will use the online Leave Request Form in the My Benefits tile in ConnectCarolina Self Service to submit your request for extended leave for family and/or medical-related reasons and to upload any required leave attachments like forms and supporting documentation. Click the link below to access the related pdf leave forms and view instructions on how to submit them.
Voluntary Shared Leave (VSL)
Eligible University employees have the opportunity to both donate and request Voluntary Shared Leave, which allows one employee to assist another employee in the case of a prolonged medical condition that exhausts the employee’s available leave and would otherwise force the employee to be in leave-without-pay status.
